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How-to

Runbook: Handle a Chat Escalation

Navigation: CRM → Conversations

When to Use This Runbook​

Use when Vita (the AI agent) escalates a chat to you, or when you need to take over a live chat conversation from the AI. Also covers how to identify when a takeover is needed, how to do it cleanly, and what to do after the conversation closes.

Who handles this: Any team member with CRM → Conversations access and a chat department assignment.

When a Chat Gets Escalated​

Escalations happen in two ways:

Automatic (AI-triggered): Vita detects the customer is frustrated or the issue is outside her capabilities and routes the conversation to a human agent. A notification appears in CRM → Conversations showing the conversation assigned to the queue.

Manual (you take over): You monitor the Workforce dashboard and intervene directly — either because you see a conversation going poorly, or because a customer asks to speak with a person.

Step 1: Check Your Conversation Queue​

  1. Go to CRM → Conversations

  2. Look for conversations with status Waiting or Escalated in the queue

  3. Conversations from Vita escalations will show the AI agent's name in the "Handled by" column and a status indicating human handoff is needed

If you have Workforce access:

  1. Go to CRM → Workforce → Dashboard

  2. The fleet view shows all active conversations across agents in real time

  3. Conversations flagged for escalation or showing high wait times will be highlighted

Step 2: Review the Conversation History Before Taking Over​

Before responding:

  1. Click into the conversation

  2. Read the full conversation history — what has Vita already said? What has the customer already tried?

  3. Identify:

    • What the customer actually needs (not just what they asked for — sometimes the first message is different from the real issue)

    • Any order number, subscription ID, or email address already collected

    • The customer's tone — are they frustrated? Confused? Urgent?

Do not take over and immediately ask for information Vita already collected. Check the history first.

Step 3: Take Over the Conversation​

  1. In the conversation view, click Take Over (or Assign to Me)

  2. This removes the AI agent from the conversation and makes you the active handler

  3. The customer's view: they may see a message like "You've been connected with [your name]" (depending on system settings)

Step 4: Open the Order or Subscription (If Applicable)​

Before typing your first reply:

  1. Open a second browser tab to Operations → Orders (or Operations → Auto Orders for subscriptions)

  2. Search by the customer's email address or order number from the chat history

  3. Have the order record in front of you so you can answer accurately without back-and-forth

Step 5: Respond​

First message back to the customer:

"Hi [Name], I'm [Your Name] from Vitagen Labs — I've pulled up your account and can help from here. [Brief restatement of the issue.] Let me take care of this for you."

This does three things: introduces you, confirms you read the history, and signals confidence.

Response guidelines:

SituationApproach
Order issueLook up the order first — answer based on what you actually see
Subscription questionCheck the auto order record; confirm next order date, billing amount
FieldValue
TitleBrief description: "Refund pending — awaiting gateway confirmation"
Assign toYourself or the appropriate team member
ScenarioWhat to Do
Customer says they didn't receive their orderLook up tracking → confirm status → offer reship or refund (see handle-lost-or-damaged-shipment.md)
Customer wants to cancel their subscriptionAttempt retention first → cancel if they confirm → log cancellation reason
Billing dispute ("I was charged but cancelled")Pull payment history → verify charge → process refund if warranted (see process-a-refund.md)
Customer is abusive or threateningEnd the conversation politely and firmly; escalate to the owner if threats are serious
Technical issue with the websiteDocument the exact issue → create a support ticket with UltraCart if needed → follow up with customer via email
Customer asking medical questionsRemind them you can't provide medical advice; suggest they speak with their healthcare provider; offer product information only

Monitoring Tips (For the Owner or Supervisor)​

In CRM → Workforce → Dashboard:

  • Watch for conversations over 5 minutes with no response — intervene before the customer abandons

  • Watch for conversations Vita is handling that have multiple messages — longer conversations are more likely to need a takeover

  • Check Daily Summary each morning for yesterday's chat volume, escalation rate, and resolution time

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